Connectors for respiratory assistance systems

ABSTRACT

Connectors for respiratory assistance systems are disclosed that are configured to at least decrease the proportion of condensate that drains into an inspiratory conduit. The connectors include a setup that causes the portion of a wye-piece connected to an expiratory conduit to be positioned below the portion of the wye-piece connected to the inspiratory conduit. The connector can alternatively, or additionally, include a wye-piece that includes a ball attached to the wye-piece adjacent the inspiratory conduit port such that when the ball is connected to a medical stand, the expiratory conduit port is positioned below the inspiratory conduit port. The connector can alternatively or additionally include a circuit hanger that includes a cradles for both conduits and a ball attached to the circuit hanger adjacent the inspiratory conduit cradle such that when the ball is connected to a medical stand, the expiratory conduit cradle is positioned below the inspiratory conduit cradle. The connector can alternatively or additionally include a coaxial wye-piece that includes an inspiratory branch, an expiratory branch, and a patient end. The tip of the inspiratory branch that is internal to the coaxial wye-piece may have a lip and a narrowed diameter, features which obstruct or reduce condensate from entering the inspiratory branch and the inspiratory conduit regardless of the coaxial wye-piece orientation or position.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the priority benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/051,860, filed Sep. 17, 2014, the entirety of whichis hereby incorporated by reference herein. Any and all applications forwhich a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in theApplication Data Sheet as filed with the present application are herebyincorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to respiratory assistancesystems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to conduitconnectors for respiratory assistance systems.

Description of the Related Art

A respiratory assistance system may be used to provide respiratory gasesto a patient from a gases source via an inspiratory conduit in fluidcommunication between the gases source and a patient interface. Examplesof a patient interface may include an oral mask, a nasal mask, a nasalcannula, a tracheal mask, or an endotracheal tube. In a respiratoryassistance system where the gases source is a ventilator, gases exhaledby the patient into the patient interface may be returned via anexpiratory conduit in fluid communication between the patient interfaceand the ventilator. The inspiratory conduit and the expiratory conduitmay be connected to the patient interface via a wye-piece.

A respiratory assistance system may include a humidification device tocondition respiratory gases provided to the patient. The humidificationdevice may include a humidification chamber containing liquid and aheater adjacent the humidification chamber to heat the liquid to producevapor. The humidification device may be positioned in the fluidcommunication path between the gases source and the patient interface toheat and/or humidify respiratory gases prior to delivery via theinspiratory conduit to the patient interface. Respiratory gasesdelivered to a patient at 100% relative humidity and 37° C. mimic theproperties resulting from the transformation of air that occurs as itpasses through the patient's nose to the lungs. This promotes efficientgas exchange and ventilation in the lungs, aids defense mechanisms inthe airway, and increases patient comfort during treatment.

An inspiratory conduit for use in a respiratory assistance system with ahumidification device may include a heating component, such as a heaterwire, to keep heated and humidified respiratory gases delivered via theinspiratory conduit to the patient interface warm and to reduceformation of condensate in the inspiratory conduit. However, a heatedinspiratory conduit may be connected to an unheated wye-piece and/or anunheated patient interface. The passage of heated and humidifiedrespiratory gases through an unheated wye-piece and/or an unheatedpatient interface can increase formation of condensate in therespiratory assistance system. Vapor present in gases exhaled by apatient can also increase formation of condensate in a respiratoryassistance system.

SUMMARY

Condensate that forms in a respiratory assistance system may drain inone or more of three directions: toward the patient, into theinspiratory conduit toward the humidification device, and/or into theexpiratory conduit toward the ventilator. Condensate that drains towardthe patient may reduce effectiveness of respiratory treatment and/ordecrease patient comfort. Thus, caregivers often may arrange theinspiratory conduit, the expiratory conduit, and/or the patientinterface to reduce the amount of condensate that drains toward thepatient. Condensate that drains toward the humidification device maycause at least partial occlusion of the inspiratory conduit which couldreduce effective of respiratory treatment. Condensate that drains towardthe ventilator may damage the ventilator.

In a respiratory assistance system where the expiratory conduit includesfeatures adapted to reduce condensate in gases delivered via theexpiratory conduit to a gases source, it may be useful to decrease theproportion of condensate that drains toward the patient and/or into theinspiratory conduit by increasing the proportion of condensate thatdrains into the expiratory conduit. Embodiments are disclosed ofconnectors configured to at least decrease the proportion of condensatethat drains into the inspiratory conduit by causing the portion of thewye-piece connected to the expiratory conduit to be positioned below theportion of the wye-piece connected to the inspiratory conduit. Thisarrangement allows condensate that reaches the wye-piece to naturallydrain through gravitational force into the expiratory.

According to an embodiment, a connector comprises a wye-piece, thewye-piece comprising a port for an inspiratory conduit, a port for anexpiratory conduit, a port for a patient interface, a body formed by afluid passageway between the port for the inspiratory conduit and theport for the patient interface and a fluid passageway between the portfor the expiratory conduit and the port for the patient interface, and aball for connecting the wye-piece to a medical stand, wherein the ballis attached to the body adjacent the port for the inspiratory conduitsuch that when the ball is connected to a medical stand, the port forthe expiratory conduit is positioned below the port for the inspiratoryconduit.

The ball may be attached directly to the body of the wye-piece, or itmay be attached to a stem that is attached to the body of the wye-piece.The ball, or ball and stem, may be integrally formed with the body,detachable from the body, or formed separately from and securely adheredto the body.

According to an another example embodiment, a connector comprises acircuit hanger, the circuit hanger comprising a body, the bodycomprising a cradle for an inspiratory conduit, a cradle for anexpiratory conduit, and a ball for connecting the circuit hanger to amedical stand, wherein the ball is attached to the body adjacent thecradle for the inspiratory conduit such that when the ball is connectedto a medical stand, the cradle for the expiratory conduit is positionedbelow the cradle for the inspiratory conduit.

The ball may be attached directly to the body of the circuit hanger, orit may be attached to a stem that is attached to the body of the circuithanger. The ball, or ball and stem, may be integrally formed with thebody, detachable from the body, or formed separately from and securelyadhered to the body.

The medical stand may be configured to securely hold the ball of theconnector so that the connector may be held in a specific orientation orposition. The medical stand may have a mechanism that allows theorientation or position of the connector to be changed by a user. Themedical stand may have a ball-holding portion that is configured toattach to, hold, or secure the ball of a connector that comprises acircuit hanger. The ball-holding portion may be able to be tightened orloosened so that a user may change the orientation or position of theconnector, such as by first loosening the ball-holding portion, changingthe orientation or position of the connector to the desired orientationor position, and then tightening the ball-holding portion to secure theconnector in the desired orientation or position.

According to an another example embodiment, a connector comprises acoaxial wye-piece, the coaxial wye-piece comprising a body, the bodycomprising an inspiratory branch with an inspiratory conduit port, anexpiratory branch with an expiratory conduit port, a patient end with apatient interface port, a fluid passageway between the inspiratoryconduit port and the patient interface port, and a fluid passage betweenthe expiratory conduit port and the patient interface port. Theinspiratory branch may comprise a tip that extends into the fluidpassageway between the expiratory conduit port and the patient interfaceport of the body. The tip of the inspiratory branch may comprise a lip,the lip configured to obstruct or impede a condensate from drainingtoward the inspiratory branch. An MDI or pressure port may also belocated on the inspiratory branch at a location far enough away from theinspiratory conduit port so that the inspiratory conduit port may beconnected to an inspiratory conduit. The patient end may have a solidwall between an inner surface and an outer surface, as well as a dualtaper design that allows the patient end to act as a male or femaleconnector.

According to an another example embodiment, a connector comprises acoaxial wye-piece, the coaxial wye-piece comprising a body, the bodycomprising an inspiratory branch with an inspiratory conduit port, anexpiratory branch with an expiratory conduit port, a patient end with apatient interface port, a fluid passageway between the inspiratoryconduit port and the patient interface port, and a fluid passage betweenthe expiratory conduit port and the patient interface port. Theinspiratory branch may comprise a tip that extends into the fluidpassageway between the expiratory conduit port and the patient interfaceport of the body. The tip of the inspiratory branch may comprise a lip,the lip configured to obstruct or impede a condensate from drainingtoward the inspiratory branch. An MDI or pressure port may also belocated on the inspiratory branch at a location far enough away from theinspiratory conduit port so that the inspiratory conduit port may beconnected to an inspiratory conduit. The patient end may have a gap in awall between an inner surface and an outer surface, as well as a dualtaper design that allows the patient end to act as a male or femaleconnector. The gap may preserve the dual taper design while allowingless material to be used.

According to an another example embodiment, a connector comprises acoaxial wye-piece, the coaxial wye-piece comprising a body, the bodycomprising an inspiratory branch with an inspiratory conduit port, anexpiratory branch with an expiratory conduit port, a patient end with apatient interface port, a fluid passageway between the inspiratoryconduit port and the patient interface port, and a fluid passage betweenthe expiratory conduit port and the patient interface port. The body mayfurther comprise an inner coaxial inspiratory tube that extends from theinspiratory branch into the fluid passageway between the expiratoryconduit port and the patient interface port. The inner coaxialinspiratory tube may be directed towards the patient end and may extendall up to the patient interface port of the patient end. The innercoaxial inspiratory tube may obstruct or impede a condensate fromdraining toward the inspiratory branch, and it may also direct the flowof inspiratory gas towards the patient end. The inspiratory branch maycomprise a tip that extends into the fluid passageway between theexpiratory conduit port and the patient interface port of the body. Thetip of the inspiratory branch may comprise a lip, the lip configured toobstruct or impede a condensate from draining toward the inspiratorybranch. An MDI or pressure port may also be located on the inspiratorybranch at a location far enough away from the inspiratory conduit portso that the inspiratory conduit port may be connected to an inspiratoryconduit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the present disclosure will be described withreference to the following drawings, which should be consideredillustrative but not limiting.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example respiratory assistance system that maybe used to provide respiratory gases to a patient.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a connector for a respiratory assistance systemaccording to an example embodiment in which the connector comprises awye-piece.

FIG. 3A is a diagram of a connector for a respiratory assistance systemaccording to an example embodiment in which the connector comprises acircuit hanger.

FIG. 3B is a diagram of a ball-holding end of a medical stand that maybe attached to a connector for a respiratory assistance system thatcomprises a circuit hanger.

FIG. 3C is a diagram of a medical stand that may be attached to aconnector for a respiratory assistance system that comprises a circuithanger.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a connector for a respiratory assistance systemaccording to an example embodiment in which the connector comprises acoaxial wye-piece.

FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a perspective side view of a connectorfor a respiratory assistance system according to an example embodimentin which the connector comprises a coaxial wye-piece.

FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a side cut-away view of a connectorfor a respiratory assistance system according to the example embodimentof FIG. 5A in which the connector comprises a coaxial wye-piece.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a cut-away view of the geometry andpositioning of features of a connector for a respiratory assistancesystem in which the connector comprises a coaxial wye-piece.

FIG. 7A is a diagram of where an MDI port may be located on a connectorin a respiratory assistance system in which the connector comprises acoaxial wye-piece.

FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating a connector for a respiratoryassistance according to an example embodiment in which the connectorcomprises a coaxial wye-piece with an MDI port.

FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating a cross-section view of the dimensionsand lengths of a connector for a respiratory assistance system in whichthe connector comprises a coaxial wye-piece.

FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating a cross-section view of the dimensionsand angles of a connector for a respiratory assistance system in whichthe connector comprises a coaxial wye-piece.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a connector for a respiratory assistance systemaccording to an example embodiment in which the connector comprises acoaxial wye-piece.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of a connector for a respiratory assistance systemaccording to an example embodiment in which the connector comprises acoaxial wye-piece.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of a connector for a respiratory assistance systemaccording to an example embodiment in which the connector comprises acoaxial wye-piece.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of a connector for a respiratory assistance systemaccording to an example embodiment in which the connector comprises acoaxial wye-piece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Terms

The term conduit refers to any tube, channel, or passageway that may beused in a respiratory assistance system. Conduits that may be used tocarry respiratory gas in a respiratory assistance system includesmooth-bore conduits, which may have inner wall surfaces that aresmooth. The width of the conduit wall of a smooth-bore conduit may beconstant. An example of a smooth-bore conduit is disclosed inInternational Application No. PCT/NZ2015/050028, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety. Conduits that may be used tocarry respiratory gas in a respiratory assistance system may alsoinclude conduits with inner wall surfaces that are not smooth. Examplesof such conduits include corrugated conduits. A corrugated conduit mayhave a series of parallel ridges or grooves. A corrugated conduit mayalso be known as a concertina or bellows conduit. Other types ofconduits with inner wall surfaces that are not smooth may have helicalor spiraling ridges or grooves. A conduit may be designed to possess acombination of features from different conduit types. For example, aconduit may have a smooth bore while retaining a series of parallelridges or grooves on the exterior of the conduit. Such a conduit wouldhave a smooth inner wall surface and a wall width that is non-constantwhile retaining some of the benefits of a corrugated conduit, which aredescribed in further detail below.

There may be certain benefits associated with a corrugated conduit. Forexample, the sizing and/or spacing of parallel ridges or grooves in acorrugated conduit may allow for specially-designed medical connectorsthat fit the ridges and grooves in order to hold or grasp the corrugatedconduit in place. A corrugated conduit may allow for increasedflexibility and bending. The parallel ridges or grooves present in acorrugated conduit may trap or hinder mobile condensate, making acorrugated conduit well-suited for preventing condensate from freelymoving in a respiratory assistance system.

There may be certain benefits associated with the use of smooth-boreconduits. The smooth inner wall surface of smooth-bore conduits mayallow for the flow of gas with less resistance and reduced turbulence.The smooth inner wall surface of smooth-bore conduits may allow forhigher velocity gas flow. This may make smooth-bore conduits well-suitedfor high flow respiratory therapy. A connector designed to reduce themobility of condensate within a respiratory assistance system maygreatly improve the usability of the system with a smooth-bore conduit.

The term branch refers to a projection of a connector in a respiratoryassistance system. For example, a connector may have a Y-shape. One endof this connector may be referred to as the inspiratory branch becauseit is designed to connect to, and interface with, the inspiratoryconduit. Another end of this connector may be referred to as theexpiratory branch because it is designed to connect to, and interfacewith, the expiratory conduit. A branch may have a port or opening in itwhich may allow the branch to be fluidly connected to another object.For example, an inspiratory branch may have an inspiratory conduit portfor connecting to the inspiratory conduit and an expiratory branch mayhave an expiratory conduit port for connecting to the expiratoryconduit.

The term metered-dose inhaler (MDI) port refers to a port in arespiratory assistance system that is configured to connect to, orinterface with, a metered-dose inhaler, which is a device designed todeliver a specific amount of medication to the lungs of a patient. Ametered-dose inhaler may be configured to deliver medication in aerosolform through the MDI port into the inspiratory gas flow of a respiratoryassistance system.

General Respiratory Assistance System (FIG. 1)

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example respiratory assistance system 100 thatmay be used to provide respiratory gases to a patient 101. Therespiratory assistance system 100 comprises a gases source 105 in fluidcommunication with a patient interface 115 via an inspiratory conduit103 and an expiratory conduit 117. In some configurations, the gasessource 105 comprises a ventilator. The inspiratory conduit 103 and theexpiratory conduit 117 are connected to the patient interface 115 via awye-piece 113.

In the configuration shown, the respiratory assistance system 100 alsocomprises a humidification device 107 to condition respiratory gasesprovided to the patient 101. The humidification device 107 is positionedin the fluid communication path between the gases source 105 and thepatient interface 115 to heat and/or humidify respiratory gases prior todelivery via the inspiratory conduit 103 to the patient interface 115.The humidification device 107 comprises a humidification chamber 129containing a liquid 130 and a heater 131 adjacent to the humidificationchamber 129 to heat the liquid 130 to produce vapor that humidifiesrespiratory gases passing over the liquid 130. In some configurations,the gases source 105 and the humidification device 107 are locatedwithin a common housing and/or comprise components of a singleapparatus. In some configurations, the gases source 105 is connecteddirectly to the patient interface 115 via the inspiratory conduit 103with no intervening humidification device.

In some configurations, the inspiratory conduit 103 includes a heatingcomponent, such as a heater wire, to keep heated and humidifiedrespiratory gases delivered via the inspiratory conduit 103 to thepatient interface 115 warm and to reduce formation of condensate in theinspiratory conduit 103. In some configurations, the wye-piece 113and/or the patient interface 115 might not include a similar heatingfeature, so vapor present in heated and humidified respiratory gasesdelivered via the inspiratory conduit 103 to the wye-piece 113 maycondense in the wye-piece 113 and/or the patient interface 115. In someconfigurations, vapor present in gases exhaled by the patient 101 maycondense in the wye-piece 113 and/or the patient interface 115.

Condensate that forms in the respiratory assistance system 100,particularly but not exclusively in the wye-piece 113 and/or the patientinterface 115, may drain in one or more of three directions: toward thepatient 101, into the inspiratory conduit 103 toward the humidificationdevice 107, and/or into the expiratory conduit 117 toward the gasessource 105. It may be considered undesirable to allow condensate todrain toward the patient 101, because liquid introduced to the face orairway of the patient 101 may reduce effectiveness of respiratorytreatment and/or decrease comfort. It may be considered undesirable toallow condensate to drain toward the humidification device 107, becausecondensate formed of vapor present in gases exhaled by the patient maycause at least partial occlusion of the inspiratory conduit 103 whichcould reduce effective of respiratory treatment. It may be consideredundesirable to allow condensate to drain toward the gases source 105,because liquid may damage the gases source 105.

In some configurations, the expiratory conduit 117 may include featuresconfigured to reduce condensate in gases delivered through theexpiratory conduit 117 to the gases source 105. See, for example, theembodiments and features disclosed in U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2013/0098360. In some configurations, it may beappropriate to decrease the proportion of condensate that drains towardthe patient 101 and into the inspiratory conduit 103 by increasing theproportion of condensate that drains into the expiratory conduit 117.Multiple embodiments of connectors are disclosed that at least decreasethe proportion of condensate that drains into the inspiratory conduit103 by causing the portion of the wye-piece 113 connected to theexpiratory conduit 117 to be positioned below the portion of thewye-piece 113 connected to the inspiratory conduit 103. Otherembodiments of connectors are disclosed that at least decrease theproportion of condensate that drains into the inspiratory conduit 103regardless of the orientation or positioning of the inspiratory conduit103 relative to the expiratory conduit 117.

Wye-Piece Connector With Ball (FIG. 2)

FIG. 2 is a picture of a connector for the respiratory assistance system100 according to a first example embodiment, where the connectorcomprises a wye-piece 200. The wye-piece 200 comprises a body 210, aninspiratory conduit port 225, an expiratory conduit port 220, and apatient interface port 215. The body 210 includes a fluid passagewaybetween the inspiratory conduit port 225 and the patient interface port215 and a fluid passageway between the expiratory conduit port 220 andthe patient interface port 215. The wye-piece 200 comprises a ball 205for connecting the wye-piece 200 to a medical stand. The ball 205 isattached to the body 210 adjacent the inspiratory conduit port 225 suchthat when the ball 205 is connected to a medical stand, the expiratoryconduit port 220 is positioned below the inspiratory conduit port 225.

In the configuration shown, the ball 205 is attached to a stem 230 andthe stem 230 is attached to the body 210. The ball 205 may be integrallyformed with the stem 230. The ball 205 may be detachable from the stem230. The ball 205 may be formed separately from and securely adhered tothe stem 230. The stem 230 may be integrally formed with the body 210.The stem 230 may be detachable from the body 210. The stem 230 may beformed separately from and securely adhered to the body 210. Anycombination of the above types of attachment between the ball 205 andthe stem 230 and between the stem 230 and the body 210 may be used.

In some configurations, the ball 205 is attached directly to the body210. The ball 205 may be integrally formed with the body 210. The ball205 may be detachable from the body 210. The ball 205 may be formedseparately from and securely adhered to the body 210.

In use, the wye-piece 113 is replaced by the wye-piece 200, such thatthe inspiratory conduit 103 is connected to the inspiratory conduit port225, the expiratory conduit 117 is connected to the expiratory conduitport 220, and the patient interface 115 is connected to the patientinterface port 215. In use, the wye-piece 200 is connected, via the ball205, to a medical stand, which positions the expiratory conduit port 220below the inspiratory conduit port 225, which causes the expiratoryconduit 117 to be positioned below the inspiratory conduit 103, at leastcausing a larger proportion of any condensate formed in the respiratoryassistance system 100 that reaches the wye-piece 200 to drain into theexpiratory conduit 117 than into the inspiratory conduit 103.

Circuit Hanger Connector Wth Ball (FIG. 3A)

FIG. 3A is a picture of a connector for the respiratory assistancesystem 100 according to a second example embodiment, where the connectorcomprises a circuit hanger 127. The circuit hanger 127 includes a body310, and the body 310 includes an inspiratory conduit cradle 325 and anexpiratory conduit cradle 320. The circuit hanger 127 comprises a ball305 for connecting the circuit hanger 127 to a medical stand. The ball305 is attached to the body 310 adjacent the inspiratory conduit cradle325 such that when the ball 305 is connected to a medical stand, theexpiratory conduit cradle 320 is positioned below the inspiratoryconduit cradle 325.

In the configuration shown, the ball 305 is attached to a stem 330 andthe stem 330 is attached to the body 310. The ball 305 may be integrallyformed with the stem 330. The ball 305 may be detachable from the stem330. The ball 305 may be formed separately from and securely adhered tothe stem 330. The stem 330 may be integrally formed with the body 310.The stem 330 may be detachable from the body 310. The stem 330 may beformed separately from and securely adhered to the body 310. Anycombination of the above types of attachment between the ball 305 andthe stem 330 and between the stem 330 and the body 310 may be used.

In some configurations, the ball 305 is attached directly to the body310. The ball 305 may be integrally formed with the body 310. The ball305 may be detachable from the body 310. The ball 305 may be formedseparately from and securely adhered to the body 310.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the circuit hanger 127 is shown connected tothe inspiratory conduit 103 and the expiratory conduit 117, such thatthe inspiratory conduit 103 passes through, or is held by, theinspiratory conduit cradle 325 and the expiratory conduit 117 passesthrough, or is held by, the expiratory conduit cradle 320. In use, thecircuit hanger 127 is connected, via the ball 305, to a medical stand,which positions the expiratory conduit cradle 320 below the inspiratoryconduit cradle 325, which causes the expiratory conduit 117 to bepositioned below the inspiratory conduit 103, at least causing a largerproportion of any condensate formed in the respiratory assistance system100 that reaches the wye-piece 113 to drain into the expiratory conduit117 than into the inspiratory conduit 103.

In some configurations, the inspiratory conduit cradle 325 may include ashape suitable for holding the inspiratory conduit 103 that is differentfrom the shape of the inspiratory conduit cradle 325 depicted in FIG.3A. In some configurations, the expiratory conduit cradle 320 mayinclude a shape suitable for holding the expiratory conduit 117 that isdifferent from the shape of the expiratory conduit cradle 320 depictedin FIG. 3A. In a preferred configuration, the inspiratory conduit cradle325 may include a different shape from the expiratory conduit cradle320, which may help ensure that the connections are correct, i.e. theinspiratory conduit 103 is connected to the inspiratory conduit cradle325 and the expiratory conduit 117 is connected to the expiratoryconduit cradle 320. In some configurations, the inspiratory conduitcradle 325 and the expiratory conduit cradle 320 may include the sameshape.

In some configurations, the inspiratory conduit cradle 325 may beadapted to connect to a circuit accessory that is adapted to attach tothe inspiratory conduit 103. In some configurations, the expiratoryconduit cradle 320 may be adapted to connect to a circuit accessory thatis adapted to attach to the expiratory conduit 117. For example, butwithout limitation, either or both of the inspiratory conduit cradle 325or the expiratory conduit cradle 320 may be adapted to connect to anyone or more of the locking clips disclosed in U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2014/0236041. In a preferred configuration, theinspiratory conduit cradle 325 is adapted to connect to a different typeof circuit accessory from a type of circuit accessory to which theexpiratory conduit cradle 320 is adapted to connect, which may helpensure that the inspiratory conduit 103 is connected to the inspiratoryconduit cradle 325 and the expiratory conduit 117 is connected to theexpiratory conduit cradle 320. In some configurations, the inspiratoryconduit cradle 325 and the expiratory conduit cradle 320 are adapted toconnect to the same type of circuit accessory.

In some configurations, the body 310 may be adapted to connect to acircuit accessory that is adapted to attach to both the inspiratoryconduit 103 and to the expiratory conduit 117 in such a way that whenthe ball 305 is connected to a medical stand, the expiratory conduit 117is positioned below the inspiratory conduit 103. For example, butwithout limitation, the body 310 may be adapted to connect to any one ormore of the locking clips disclosed in U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2014/0236041 that is engageable with multiple tubes.

Medical Stand to Secure Ball (FIGS. 3B and 3C)

FIG. 3B is a diagram of a ball-holding end 350 of a medical stand thatmay be attached to a connector for a respiratory assistance system thatcomprises a circuit hanger. The ball-holding end 350 of the medicalstand is attached to an arm 355. The arm 355 may be a flexible arm thatallows the ball-holding end 350 to be positioned and oriented by a user.

The ball-holding end 350 has a first clamp 365 and a second clamp 370.The first clamp 365 and the second clamp 370 have a hole in which ascrew 375 may be disposed. The screw 375 may be mated with a handle 360.The handle 360 may have threads such that rotating the handle in onedirection will bring the first clamp 365 and a second clamp 370 closertogether, while rotating the handle in another direction will bring thefirst clamp 365 and the second clamp 370 further apart. The connectormay have a ball 335 that may be held within the jaws of the first clamp365 and the second clamp 370. By bringing the first clamp 365 and thesecond clamp 370 closer together, the ball 335 and the connector may beheld in a specific orientation or position. By bringing the first clamp365 and the second clamp 370 further apart, the ball 335 may be loosenedfrom the grip of the first clamp 365 and the second clamp 370 enoughthat the orientation or position of the ball 335 and the connector maybe changed.

However, the ball-holding end 350 may not necessarily be configured totighten or loosen so that the orientation or position of the connectormay be changed. Instead, a different mechanism may be used to attach to,hold, or secure the ball 335 of the connector.

FIG. 3C is a diagram of a medical stand that may be attached to aconnector for a respiratory assistance system that comprises a circuithanger. It has a ball-holding end attached to the arm 355, with theball-holding end having a first clamp 365 and a second clamp 370. Ahandle 360 is mated to a screw (not shown) running through the firstclamp 365 and the second clamp 370. The first clamp 365 and the secondclamp 370 securely hold the ball 335 of a connector.

The medical stand also has additional features which allow theorientation and positioning of the ball-holding end and, by extension,the ball 335 and connector, to be changed and fixed as desired. The armof the medical stand may be articulated at various joints. For example,there is a handle 380A attached to a joint 385A. The handle 380A may berotated in order to tighten or loosen the joint 385A. Loosening thejoint 385A may allow the arm of the medical stand to be articulated atjoint 385A. The arm of the stand may then be rotated into a desiredorientation or position for the joint 385A to be tightened, after whichthe arm will be secured in its new desired orientation or position.Similarly, there may be a handle 380B for controlling a joint 385B, ahandle 380C for controlling a joint 385C, and so forth.

Coaxial Wye-Piece Connector (FIG. 4)

FIG. 4 illustrates a connector for the respiratory assistance system 100according to a third example embodiment, where the connector includes acoaxial wye-piece 400.

The coaxial wye-piece 400 has a smooth inner wall surface, so that ithas a similar resistance to flow as other wye-piece connectors, such asthe wye-piece 113 shown in FIG. 1. The coaxial wye-piece 400 may be asingle-use wye-piece or a reusable wye-piece. The coaxial wye-piece 400may be configured to work with various types of conduits, such assmooth-bore conduits, in order to reduce the amount of condensateentering the inspiratory conduit 103 during invasive or non-invasiveventilation.

The coaxial wye-piece 400 has an inspiratory branch 405 that connectsto, or interfaces with, the inspiratory conduit 103. Respiratory gasesfrom the inspiratory conduit 103 flow into the coaxial wye-piece 400through the inspiratory branch 405. The orientation of the inspiratorybranch 405 directs respiratory gases from the inspiratory conduit 103towards the patient 101. The respiratory gases flows towards a patientend 415 of the coaxial wye-piece 400, where it may travel through thepatient interface 115 before being breathed in by the patient 101.

Once the patient 101 exhales, the exhaled gases may enter the coaxialwye-piece 400 through the patient end 415. The exhaled gas will flowtowards an expiratory branch 410 of the coaxial wye-piece 400, whichconnects to, or interfaces with, the expiratory conduit 117. The coaxialwye-piece 400 provides a straight path from the patient end 415 to theexpiratory branch 410. A lip or extension 420 prevents or obstructscondensate in the exhaled gas from entering the inspiratory branch 405and the inspiratory conduit 103. This decreases the proportion ofcondensate that drains into the inspiratory conduit 103 regardless ofthe orientation or positioning of the inspiratory conduit 103 relativeto the expiratory conduit 117. The condensate is directed towards theexpiratory conduit 117.

The diameter of the inspiratory branch 405 narrows from the conduitinterface end of inspiratory branch 405 to the lip 420. The narrowing ofthe diameter near the lip 420 causes the respiratory gas that flows intothe coaxial wye-piece 400 through the inspiratory branch 405 to movefaster as the diameter narrows based on Pouseuille's Law. This increasedspeed of gas flow may discourage or prevent condensate from travelingagainst the flow direction and entering the inspiratory branch 405,thereby keeping condensate out of the attached inspiratory conduit 103.

A solid wall 425 on the patient end 415 of the coaxial wye-piece 400 hasa dual taper design, so that the patient end 415 may act as a female ormale connector. There is a taper on the outside surface of the solidwall 425 so that the patient end 415 may act as a male connector. Forexample, the patient end 415 may be configured to have a 22 mm maleconnection to fit into a standard 22 mm female taper. There is a taperon the inner surface of the solid wall 425 so that the patient end 415may act as a female connector. For example, the patient end 415 may beconfigured to have a 15 mm female connection for connecting to a 15 mmmale taper of a trachea mount, the patient interface 115, and so forth.Other embodiments of the coaxial wye-piece 400 for which the wall of thepatient end 415 is not a solid wall, such as the solid wall 425, butstill maintains the dual taper design is described below with regard toFIGS. 5A and 5B.

The solid wall 425 may be further configured or designed to meet desiredcommercial goals. Making the solid wall 425 as thin as possible may aidin the manufacturing of the wye-piece 400. For example, if the wye-piece400 is injection moulded then having the solid wall 425 as thin aspossible will reduce the time needed for the wye-piece 400 to cool andimprove the moulding stability of tapered portions of the solid wall425. A thin embodiment of the solid wall 425 will also reduce the amountof material (such as plastic) needed to produce the wye-piece 400, whichresults in lower unit costs and shorter manufacturing times.

The coaxial wye-piece 400 drains condensate to the expiratory branch 410regardless of the orientation of the coaxial wye-piece 400. In ascenario where the orientation of the coaxial wye-piece 400 has theinspiratory branch 405 pointed downwards towards the ground with no flowcoming from the inspiratory branch 405, it will be unlikely thatcondensate flows into the inspiratory branch 405. The lip 420 preventscondensate from entering the inspiratory branch 405 in such anorientation. In more common scenarios where the inspiratory branch 405is not pointed downwards, any condensate that splashes into theinspiratory branch 405 falls back down into the straight flow pathbetween the patient end 415 and the expiratory branch 410. The design ofthe coaxial wye-piece 400 allows condensate to be kept out of theinspiratory conduit 103 for seven days or more, in comparison to somewye-piece designs in which condensate may be found in the inspiratoryconduit 103 within six hours of use. Furthermore, the design of thecoaxial wye-piece 400 provides these benefits without greatly increasingthe resistance to flow of respiratory gases passing through any portionof the wye-piece 400. In particular, there may be little change to theresistance to flow between the patient end 415 and the expiratory branch410 in comparison to other wye-piece designs. The flow path between thepatient end 415 and the expiratory branch 410 is a straight path inwhich the lip 420 creates a relatively minor obstruction to flow.

By being able to function in different orientations, the coaxialwye-piece 400 allows the respiratory assistance system 100 to be simpleto set up and use effectively by taking the orientation of the coaxialwye-piece 400 out of consideration during setup. Thus, the coaxialwye-piece 400 may be particularly useful in reusable respiratoryassistance systems, which may have breathing circuits that are notpreassembled and more prone to user error in circuit setup. The coaxialwye-piece 400 may also be particularly suitable for use at home.

Coaxial Wye-Piece Connector With Gap (FIGS. 5A and 5B)

FIGS. 5A and 5B both show a connector for the respiratory assistancesystem 100 according to an example embodiment where the connectorincludes a coaxial wye-piece 500. FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective viewof the coaxial wye-piece 500 while FIG. 5B illustrates a side cutawayview of the same coaxial wye-piece 500.

The coaxial wye-piece 500 is very similar in design and operation to thecoaxial wye-piece 400 described above in reference to FIG. 4. Forexample, the coaxial wye-piece 500 also has an inspiratory branch 505,an expiratory branch 510, and a patient end 515. Observable in FIG. 5Bis a lip 520 which is similar to the lip 420 shown in the embodiment ofFIG. 4. The main difference between the embodiments is that the coaxialwye-piece 500 has a wall gap 525, whereas the coaxial wye-piece 400 fromFIG. 4 has the solid wall 425. Instead of the solid wall 425 between theinner surface and the outer surface of the patient end 415 of thecoaxial wye-piece 400, the coaxial wye-piece 500 has the wall gap 525that separates the inner surface and the outer surface of the patientend 515.

Normally in a reusable circuit, the presence of the wall gap 525 may actas a dirt trap which may make the wye-piece connector difficult to cleanfor reuse. However, this drawback of the wall gap 525 is mitigated insingle-use applications. The wye-piece 500 is generally a single-usecoaxial wye-piece connector with the wall gap 525, such that cleaningthe wall gap 525 is unnecessary.

The wall gap 525 may have a thickness defined in part by the distancebetween the outer surface and the inner surface of the patient end 515.If the patient end 515 is configured to have a dual taper design thatsupports a 15 mm female connection and a 22 mm male connection, then thewall gap 525 may have a thickness that is associated with the distancebetween the 15 mm female connection and the 22 mm male connection. Thus,the patient end 515 having a dual taper design does not exclude thepossibility of having the wall gap 525.

If the patient end 515 is has a solid wall, then more material (such asplastic) would be used in comparison to having the wall gap 525 in thepatient end 515, which reduces the material used by the volume of thecylindrical shell defined by the thickness of the wall gap 525. Thus,the wall gap 525 may reduce the amount of material needed to manufacturethe coaxial wye-piece 500 as well as reduce the manufacturing time ofthe coaxial wye-piece 500 since the thinner walls of the patient end 515would take less time to cool. Otherwise, the wye-piece 500 maintainsmany of the features described of the wye-piece 400 shown in FIG. 4. Thewye-piece 500 has a similar inspiratory branch and expiratory branchwith tapers at the end of both. The patient end 515 of the wye-piece 500may preserve the dual taper design such that the patient end 515 may actas either a male connector or a female connector. Note that wall gap 525is a feature that may be present in combination with any of theembodiments of connectors disclosed herein including the embodiment ofwye-piece 200 shown in FIG. 2. As further examples, it may also beapplied in combination with the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4, 6, 7A, 7B,9, 10, 11, and 12.

Wye-Piece Geometry (FIGS. 6, 7A, 7B, 8A, 8B, and 9)

FIG. 6 is a cutaway view illustrating the geometry and positioning offeatures for a connector in the respiratory assistance system 100 thatincludes a coaxial wye-piece 600.

The coaxial wye-piece 600 may be the same embodiment as the coaxialwye-piece 400 shown in FIG. 4. The wye-piece 600 may be opaque or it maybe transparent to some degree in order to show the internal constructionof the wye-piece 600. In some embodiments, the wye-piece 600 may have acertain colour and/or degree of transparency to indicate whether it is asingle-use wye-piece or a reusable wye-piece. The coaxial wye-piece 600has some similar features to the coaxial wye-piece 400, including aninspiratory branch 605, an expiratory branch 610, a patient end 615, anda lip 620. However, there may be minor changes with regards to thespacing, angle, or length of the ports and branches.

A length 630 is the length between the tapered end of the inspiratorybranch 605 and the intersection of the main body of the wye-piece 600.Over the length 630, the inspiratory branch 605 narrows. Thisconfiguration speeds up the flow of respiratory gas moving towards thepatient end 615. However, in some embodiments, the inspiratory branch605 does not narrow. In various embodiments, the length 630 may bealtered to serve specific design goals. In various embodiments, thelength 630 may be increased in order to provide more space forconnectors.

An angle 640 is the angle between the inspiratory branch 605 and theexpiratory branch 610. In various embodiments, the angle 640 may be inthe range of between 0 and 180 degrees. In various embodiments, theangle 640 may be in the range of between 0 and 90 degrees. For practicalreasons, the angle 640 is normally within the range of 0 and 90 degrees,such that gas flowing into the inspiratory branch 605 is naturallydirected towards the patient end 615. In some embodiments, the angle 640is between 30 and 60 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle 640 isbetween 40 and 50 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle 640 is 45degrees.

A length 635 is the length between the dual-tapered patient end 615 andthe expiratory branch 610. In various embodiments, the length 635 may bealtered to serve specific design purposes. In various embodiments, thelength 635 is at least the distance from the lip-end of the inspiratorybranch 605 to the patient end 615. In various embodiments, including theone shown in FIG. 6, the length 635 is significantly greater (by afactor of two in the illustration) than the distance from the lip-end ofthe inspiratory branch 605 to the patient end 615, in order toaccommodate at least any taper at the end of the expiratory branch 610.This allows the expiratory branch 610 to be connected to other objectsin the respiratory assistance system 100, such as the expiratory conduit117. In some embodiments, the length 635 may be altered in order toaccommodate or fit an MDI port or other feature, such as a pressureport. Further discussion on MDI port placement is provided below inreference to FIG. 7A.

A dotted line 645 shows how the tip or end of the inspiratory branch 605near the lip 620 may be trimmed. In various embodiments, the tip of theinspiratory branch 605 may be trimmed in order to reduce resistance toflow from the patient end 615 toward the expiratory branch 610, as wellas material usage and cost, in comparison to having an extended tip. Theshortened tip can still prevent condensate from entering the inspiratorybranch 605 since the lip 620 will still be present. The shortened tipwill also still direct respiratory gas flow towards the patient end 615.A minimum amount of tip is desirable in order to direct a flow of gasesto the patient 101.

There is an inner diameter change 625 in the inner surface of the bodyof the wye-piece 600 between the expiratory branch 610 and the patientend 615. In some embodiments, the inner diameter change 625 is notpresent. The inner diameter change 625 accommodates a smaller innersurface diameter at the patient end 615 due to the taper needed for thepatient end 615 to serve as a 15 mm female connector. In someembodiments, the dual taper of the patient end 615 does not conform tothe standard 15 mm female connection. The patient end 615 may have ataper for any size female connection, such as 13 mm, 17 mm, 19 mm, andso forth. The inner diameter change 625 may be different to accommodatethe taper or the inner surface diameter of the patient end 615. Theinner diameter change 625 may be a smooth inner transition in diameterfrom the expiratory branch 610 and the patient end 615. A stepwise, orother similarly abrupt, change in diameter may affect the cleaning andflow characteristics of the wye-piece 600. The wye-piece 600, with theinner diameter change 625 having a smooth transition, has a resistanceto flow that is very similar to a wye-piece with no inner diameterchange.

To the implement inner diameter change 625, an upper wall 650 of thewye-piece 600 that is near the lip 620 can be straight rather thanangled in order to aid in manufacturing. In some embodiments, the upperwall 650 will be straight. In other embodiments, the upper wall 650 willbe angled to contribute to the inner diameter change 625. If the upperwall 650 is straight, then the inner diameter change 625 may not beattributed to a change in the upper wall 650, but rather a change in thewall thickness of the wall on the opposite side of the upper wall 650.This can be seen in FIG. 6 in the lower wall directly below the innerdiameter change 625.

Changing the diameter of the inspiratory conduit 103, which may be asmooth-bore conduit, may also be reflected in a change in the diameterof the inspiratory branch 605 and may affect the function and design ofthe wye-piece 600. For instance, a decrease in the diameter of thesmooth-bore conduit may be reflected in the inspiratory branch 605 in avariety of ways. For example, there may be an aggressive taper at theend of the inspiratory branch 605 in order to fit the decreasedsmooth-bore conduit diameter. The respiratory gases flowing through thesmooth-bore conduit will slow down once it enters the inspiratory branch605. The respiratory gases flow may speed up again as the diameter ofthe inspiratory branch 605 narrows. As another example, the innerdiameter of the inspiratory branch 605 may be decreased in order tomatch the decreased smooth-bore conduit diameter. This may beaccomplished by reducing the outer diameter of the inspiratory branch605 and/or by increasing the thickness of the walls of the inspiratorybranch 605. The result will be faster respiratory gas flow through thesmooth-bore conduit and the inspiratory branch 605 due to the decreaseddiameter.

Thus, the length 630, the length 635, the angle 640, the length of thetip of inspiratory branch 605, the diameter of inspiratory branch 605,and the inner diameter change 625 all may be changed independently or inconsideration of one another in order to facilitate a specific designpurpose. For example, if directing respiratory gas flow from theinspiratory branch 605 towards the patient end 615 is a priority, thenthe angle 640 may be chosen to be smaller, and the tip of theinspiratory branch 605 may be chosen to be longer. All of thesechangeable features described here in connection to FIG. 6 may beapplied to any other embodiment of a coaxial wye-piece described herein,including but not limited to, the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4, 5A, 5B,9-12.

FIG. 7A illustrates an embodiment where an MDI port may be located on acoaxial wye-piece connector in the respiratory assistance system 100.The coaxial wye-piece connector shown has an inspiratory branch 705, anexpiratory branch 710, and a patient end 715. In some cases, it may bedesirable for the coaxial wye-piece connector to have an MDI port.However, such an MDI port should generally not be located on the taperstowards the ends of inspiratory branch 705, expiratory branch 710, andpatient end 715. Locating an MDI port on a taper would impair the taperand interfere with the ability of that end of the wye-piece to serve asa connector. The MDI port should also be associated with inspiratorygases, such that any medication delivered through the MDI port isdelivered to the patient during inspiration. Thus, the MDI port may bepositioned anywhere on the inspiratory branch 705 of the wye-piece thatdoes not form the taper of the inspiratory branch 705. This permissiblearea of placement is shown in FIG. 7A as section 730 of the inspiratorybranch 705.

FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating a connector for a respiratoryassistance according to an example embodiment in which the connectorcomprises a coaxial wye-piece with an MDI port 735. The figure issimilar to FIG. 7A, with the connector having the same inspiratorybranch 705, an expiratory branch 710, and a patient end 715. Inspiratorybranch 705 has an MDI port 735 located in section 730 of the inspiratorybranch 705. Note that MDI port 735 may actually be located anywherewithin section 730.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views that further show the geometryand dimensions for a connector in the respiratory assistance system 100that comprises a coaxial wye-piece.

In FIG. 8A, representations of the lengths and distances of variousfeatures are shown.

A length 805 represents the distance between where the inspiratorybranch begins to narrow and where the inspiratory branch connects to thebody of the wye-piece. The length 805 may be measured along the axis ofthe inspiratory branch. Changing the length 805 may alter the rate atwhich the inspiratory gas flow speed changes as the inspiratory branchnarrows.

For the portion of wye-piece between the patient end and the expiratorybranch, a length 810 represents the horizontal distance between wherethe inspiratory branch joins the wye-piece to the inner diameter change.Changing the length 810 may alter the resistance to flow of thewye-piece.

A length 815 represents the distance between where the inspiratorybranch connects to the body of the wye-piece to the tip of theinspiratory branch. The length 815 may be measured along the axis of theinspiratory branch. Changing the length 815 may alter the resistance toflow of the wye-piece. The length 815 may be shortened such that the tipof the inspiratory branch still has a lip, allowing for condensate tostill be obstructed from entering the inspiratory branch. One side ofthe inspiratory branch may be shortened so that the tip of theinspiratory branch still has a lip, as shown in FIG. 6 in which theinspiratory branch may be shortened up to the dotted-line 645.

A length 820 represents the distance from the upper wall to the lip ofthe tip of the inspiratory branch. The length 820 may be measured alongthe outer surface of the tip of the inspiratory branch. Changing thelength 820 may alter the size of the lip.

A length 825 represents the inner surface diameter of the tip of theinspiratory branch. The length 825 may be changed to affect theinspiratory gas flow speed being delivered towards the patient end. Asmaller diameter will result in higher flow speed, and increasedresistance to flow, while a larger diameter will result in lower flowspeed, and decreased resistance to flow.

The table below provides approximate dimensions of the lengthsillustrated in FIG. 8A.

Dimensions of FIG. 8A Illustrated Alternative Dimension DimensionsLength 805 13 mm 10-25 mm  Length 810 31 mm 20-40 mm  Length 815 16 mm5-20 mm Length 820  8 mm 4-10 mm Length 825 10 mm 5-15 mm

In FIG. 8B, representations of the angles of various features are shown.

An angle 830 is the angle between the axis of the inspiratory branch andthe axis of the expiratory branch. Changing the angle 830 may alter howthe inspiratory gas flowing through inspiratory branch is directedtowards the patient end. At higher values for the angle 830, theinspiratory gas becomes less directed towards the patient end andincreasingly directed towards the opposing wall facing the tip of theinspiratory branch.

An angle 835 is the angle between the narrowing portion of theinspiratory branch and the axis of the inspiratory branch. Changing theangle 835 may alter the rate of change of the narrowing of theinspiratory branch. At higher values for the angle 835, the inspiratorybranch may narrow quickly. This may result in the flow speed ofinspiratory gases increasing more rapidly over the narrowing portion asopposed to lower values for the angle 835.

An angle 840 is the angle between the tip of the inspiratory branch andthe axis of the expiratory branch. Changing the angle 840 may alter theresistance to flow of the wye-piece as well as how inspiratory gas isdirected towards the patient end. For greater values of the angle 840,there may be greater resistance to flow. However, inspiratory gas isbetter directed towards the patient end. For lower values of the angle840, there may be less resistance to flow but inspiratory gas is not aswell directed towards the patient end. The angle 840 may be chosen inorder to achieve the desired features of the wye-piece and strike theright balance between resistance to flow and directing gas towards thepatient end.

The table below provides approximate dimensions of the anglesillustrated in FIG. 8B.

Angles of FIG. 8B Illustrated Alternative Dimension Dimensions Angle 83050° 50-90° Angle 835 12° 10-90° Angle 840 20°  0-35°

Thus, the dimensions of the various lengths described in reference toFIG. 8A, the dimensions of the various angles described in reference toFIG. 8B, and the dimensions of the various features described inreference to FIG. 6 (which include the length 630, the length 635, theangle 640, the length of the tip of the inspiratory branch 605, thediameter of the inspiratory branch 605, and the inner diameter change625) may all be chosen in order to facilitate the desired functionalityof the wye-piece. The desired wye-piece connector may be designed tohave at least one of a specific resistance to flow (especially withregards to the expiratory branch), inhibit condensate movement into theinspiratory branch to a certain degree, minimize carbon dioxidebuild-up, have an MDI port for the patient's convenience, and/or meet acertain degree of usability (such as by eliminating the need for a userto set up the wye-piece in a specific orientation).

FIG. 9 illustrates a connector for the respiratory assistance system 100according to another example embodiment, where the connector comprises acoaxial wye-piece 900.

The coaxial wye-piece 900 has an inspiratory branch 905, an expiratorybranch 910, and a patient end 915. An angle 930 between the inspiratorybranch 905 and the expiratory branch 910 is greater than the angles insome of the other embodiments shown in the figures, such as theembodiment shown in FIG. 4. The larger angle 930 makes inspiratory gasfrom the inspiratory branch 905 less directed towards the patient end915 of the wye-piece 900. For example, the inspiratory gas retains asignificant horizontal momentum that may carry it into the wall of thewye-piece 900 directly opposing the tip of the inspiratory branch 905(not shown).

The inspiratory branch 905 shown is also shorter in length than theinspiratory branch of the embodiment in FIG. 4. The taper on the end ofthe inspiratory branch 905 takes up most of the length of theinspiratory branch 905. The length of the narrowing portion of theinspiratory branch 905 is very short.

Coaxial Wye-Piece With Inner Coaxial Tube (FIGS. 10, 11, and 12)

FIG. 10 illustrates a connector for the respiratory assistance system100 according to an example embodiment, where the connector includes acoaxial wye-piece 1000.

Coaxial wye-piece 1000 has an inspiratory branch 1005, an expiratorybranch 1010, and a patient end 1015. There is also an inner coaxialinspiratory tube 1050 which runs the length of the patient end 1015 ofthe wye-piece 1000. Inner coaxial inspiratory tube 1050 is an extensionof inspiratory branch 1005 that extends from the inspiratory branch 1005into the wye-piece 1000. Inner coaxial inspiratory tube 1050 helps toensure that condensate is directed away from the inspiratory gas flowbecause inner coaxial inspiratory tube 1050 is pointed towards patientinterface 115. The interface connector of patient interface 115 does notcontact the inner coaxial inspiratory tube 1050. The interface connectorwould connect to patient end 1015 so that inspiratory and expiratory gasmay pass through the interface connector.

However, the inner coaxial inspiratory tube 1050 may have a negativeimpact on resistance to flow as there may only be a small amount ofavailable space within the 15 mm taper of the patient end 1015 to fit acompletely coaxial tube. The presence of the inner coaxial inspiratorytube 1050 may also restrict the expiratory flow towards the expiratorybranch since it takes up a significant portion of the cross-section ofthe wye-piece 1000.

FIG. 11 illustrates a connector for the respiratory assistance system100 according to an example embodiment, where the connector comprises acoaxial wye-piece 1100.

The coaxial wye-piece 1100 has an internal coaxial tube 1150 thatterminates before the connection point with the interface at the patientend. The internal coaxial tube 1150 has a relatively short lip. Theinternal coaxial tube 1150 takes up a significant portion of the crosssection of the flow path towards the expiratory branch, which may be afactor in condensate entering the inspiratory branch under certainconditions.

FIG. 12 illustrates a connector for the respiratory assistance system100 according to an eighth example embodiment, where the connectorcomprises a coaxial wye-piece 1200.

The coaxial wye-piece 1200 has an internal coaxial tube 1250 that alsoterminates before the connection point with the interface at the patientend. The internal coaxial tube 1250 has a relatively longer lip than thelip of the internal coaxial tube 1150 shown in FIG. 11. Like in FIG. 11,here the internal coaxial tube 1250 takes up a significant portion ofthe cross section of the flow path towards the expiratory branch, whichmay be a factor in condensate entering the inspiratory branch undercertain conditions.

Additional Description

It should be understood that any examples used in this description arein no way limiting, but merely illustrative of possible embodiments forpurposes of clarification. Unless the context clearly requiresotherwise, throughout this description and the claims that follow, thewords “comprise”, “comprising”, and the like, are to be construed in aninclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense, that isto say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”.

Reference to any prior art in this description is not, and should not betaken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the priorart referenced forms part of the common general knowledge in anyrelevant field of endeavour in any country in the world.

The present invention may be said broadly to consist in the parts,elements, and features referred to or indicated in this description andthe claims that follow, individually or collectively, in any or allcombinations of two or more of said parts, elements, or features. Wherereference is made to integers or components having known equivalentsthereof, those equivalents are herein incorporated as if individuallyset forth.

It should be noted that various modifications to the embodimentsdisclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Suchmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages.For instance, various components may be repositioned or reshaped asdesired. It is therefore intended that such modifications be includedwithin the scope of the invention. Moreover, not all of the features,aspects, and advantages disclosed herein are necessarily required topractice the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the presentinvention is intended to be defined only by the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wye-piece connector for a respiratoryassistance system comprising: an inspiratory conduit port, an expiratoryconduit port, a patient interface port, a body formed by a fluidpassageway between the inspiratory conduit port and the patientinterface port and a fluid passageway between the expiratory conduitport and the patient interface port, and a ball for connecting thewye-piece to a medical stand, wherein the ball is connected to the bodyadjacent the inspiratory conduit port such that when the ball isconnected to a medical stand, the expiratory conduit port is positionedbelow the inspiratory conduit port.
 2. The connector of claim 1, whereinthe ball is attached directly to the body.
 3. The connector of claim 1,comprising a stem, wherein the stem is attached to the body and the ballis attached to the stem.
 4. A circuit hanger connector configured to beused in a respiratory assistance system, the circuit hanger comprising:a body, the body comprising: an inspiratory conduit cradle, and anexpiratory conduit cradle; and a ball for connecting the circuit hangerto a medical stand, wherein the ball is attached to the body adjacentthe inspiratory conduit cradle such that when the ball is connected to amedical stand, the expiratory conduit cradle is positioned below theinspiratory conduit cradle.
 5. The connector of claim 4, wherein theball is attached directly to the body.
 6. The connector of claim 4,comprising a stem, wherein the stem is attached to the body and the ballis attached to the stem.
 7. A coaxial wye-piece connector configured tobe used in a respiratory assistance system, the coaxial wye-piececonnector comprising: an inspiratory branch including an inspiratoryconduit port; an expiratory branch including an expiratory conduit port;a patient end including a patient interface port; a body comprising theinspiratory branch, the expiratory branch, and the patient end, whereinthe body is formed by a fluid passageway between the inspiratory conduitport and the patient interface port and a fluid passage between theexpiratory conduit port and the patient interface port; and wherein theinspiratory branch further comprises a tip that extends into the fluidpassageway between the expiratory conduit port and the patient interfaceport of the body; and wherein the tip of the inspiratory branchcomprises a lip, the lip configured to obstruct or impede a condensatefrom entering into the inspiratory branch.
 8. The connector of claim 7,wherein the inspiratory conduit port is located on a conduit end of theinspiratory branch.
 9. The connector of claim 8, wherein the inspiratorybranch is configured to allow an inspiratory gas to flow within theinspiratory branch from the conduit end of the inspiratory branch to thetip of the inspiratory branch such that the inspiratory gas flow impedesa condensate from entering into the inspiratory branch.
 10. Theconnector of claims 8 and 9, wherein the inspiratory branch furthercomprises an inner surface diameter that is different at the conduit endof the inspiratory branch than at the tip of the inspiratory branch. 11.The connector of claim 10, wherein the inner surface diameter at the tipof the inspiratory branch is narrower than the inner surface diameter atthe conduit end of the inspiratory branch.
 12. The connector of claim11, wherein the inspiratory gas has a flow speed at the tip of theinspiratory branch that is greater than a flow speed at the conduit endof the inspiratory branch.
 13. The connector of claims 8-12, wherein theconduit end of the inspiratory branch is tapered on an inner surfaceand/or an outer surface such that the conduit end of the inspiratorybranch may be connected to an inspiratory conduit, and wherein theinspiratory conduit is in fluid communication with the inspiratoryconduit port when the inspiratory conduit is connected to the conduitend of the inspiratory branch.
 14. The connectors of claims 7-13,wherein the inspiratory branch further comprises an MDI port or apressure port.
 15. The connector of claims 7-14, wherein the fluidpassageway between the expiratory conduit port and the patient interfaceport comprises a change in diameter of the inner surface of the fluidpassageway between the expiratory conduit port and the patient interfaceport.
 16. The connector of claim 15, wherein an inner surface diameterof the fluid passageway by the patient interface port is smaller than aninner surface diameter of the fluid passageway by the expiratory conduitport.
 17. The connector of claims 7-16, wherein the patient interfaceport is located on an end of the patient end.
 18. The connector of claim17, wherein the end of the patient end has a dual taper that allows theend of the patient end to act as a female connector and/or a maleconnector.
 19. The connector of claim 17, wherein the end of the patientend has a solid wall between an inner surface and an outer surface ofthe patient end.
 20. The connector of claim 17, wherein the end of thepatient end has a wall gap between an inner surface and outer surface ofthe patient end.
 21. The connector of claims 7-20, wherein the connectoris opaque.
 22. The connector of claims 7-20, wherein the connector istransparent.
 23. The connector of claims 7-22, wherein the connectorfurther comprises an inner coaxial inspiratory tube that extends fromthe inspiratory branch into the fluid passageway between the expiratoryconduit port and the patient interface port.
 24. The connector of claim23, wherein the patient end is configured to connect with a patientinterface at a connection point.
 25. The connector of claim 24, whereinthe inner coaxial inspiratory tube extends toward the patient end. 26.The connector of claim 24, wherein the inner coaxial inspiratory tubeextends from the inspiratory branch up to the patient interface port ofthe patient end.
 27. The connector of claims 7-26, wherein the connectoris configured to direct flow from the inspiratory branch towards thepatient end.
 28. The connector of claims 7-26, wherein the connectorcomprises an angle between the axis of the inspiratory branch and theaxis of the expiratory branch.
 29. The connector of claim 28, whereinthe angle between the axis of the inspiratory branch and the axis of theexpiratory branch is between 10 and 90 degrees.
 30. The connector ofclaim 28, wherein the angle between the axis of the inspiratory branchand the axis of the expiratory branch allows the connector to directflow from the inspiratory branch towards the patient end.